CSUN (8-8, 1-1 Big West) at
UC Irvine (2-14, 0-2 Big West)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 11
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
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UC Irvine Game Notes | CSUN Game Notes
The UC Irvine women's basketball team will be looking for its first Big West victory when it hosts CSUN on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
TIP-INS
• Andee Ritter tied a single-game school record with seven 3-point field goals made at UC Riverside on Jan. 7.
• She became the third Anteater to hit seven threes in a game and the first since Katie Curtis in 2004-05.
• Ritter is tops in the conference in 3-pointers (44) and steals (37).
• The 6-foot guard is averaging 2.8 3FG per contest, putting her on pace to break the program record of 64.
• Shereen Sutherland leads the 'Eaters with 11.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per outing.
• She has nine double-figure scoring games this year, including a season-high 20 at Portland State (Dec. 3).
• Sabrina Engelstad is averaging 11.3 ppg as she has reached double digits in 12 of the last 14 contests.
• Brooke Bayman (54) and Irene Chavez (42) have accounted for over half of UC Irvine's 181 assists.
• UCI set a program and Big West record with 40 points in the third period of a 92-61 victory over Concordia.
• The 'Eaters are one of four NCAA Division I teams to notch 40 points in a quarter this year.
• UC Irvine recorded the 15th 90-point game in school history and the first since Jan. 11, 2014.
• The Anteaters also had their first 30-point victory since a 90-53 triumph over La Verne on Jan. 2, 2014.
• UCI earned its first win of the season and of first-year head coach Tamara Inoue's career at Nevada on Dec. 1.
FOLLOW THE 'EATERS: Fans can listen to every UC Irvine women's basketball home game, along with select road games, on KUCI 88.9 FM or KUCI.org. Darren Preston is the Anteaters' play-by-play announcer. All home games will also be streamed live on BigWest.tv.
CHALK TALK: Fans are invited to join the UCI coaching staff for a chalk talk before every home game. The chalk talk will begin 30 minutes prior to tip-off at the Stewart Room in the Bren Events Center.
LAST TIME OUT: Sophomore Andee Ritter tied a single-game school record with seven 3-pointers but UC Irvine fell to defending Big West regular season champion UC Riverside, 76-58, last Saturday at SRC Arena. Ritter had a career night as she matched her personal bests with 23 points and three blocks. The Medford, Ore., native went 8-for-15 from the field and 7-of-14 from behind the arc. Her seven triples tied a single game school record, previously set by Kathy Lizarraga (1988-89) and Katie Curtis (2004-05). Junior Sabrina Engelstad added 12 points to go along with four rebounds and a career-best four assists. In their first road game since Dec. 3, the Anteaters shot 36 percent overall and were 9-for-22 from long distance (40.9 percent).
SCOUTING THE MATADORS: CSUN (8-8, 1-1 Big West) split a pair of games to start conference play last week as it defeated Cal State Fullerton, 58-41, before falling at Cal Poly, 79-68. Sophomore center Channon Fluker has paced the Matadors with 15.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Junior guard Serafina Maulupe has also registered 11.5 points per outing with a team-high 39 3-pointers made.
SERIES RECORD VS. CSUN: UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with CSUN, 27-22. The Matadors have won the last five including a 62-48 victory in the most recent meeting on Feb. 13, 2016, in Northridge. Irene Chavez led the 'Eaters with 12 points, while Shereen Sutherland finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists. Serafina Maulupe had a game-high 18 points for the Matadors, and Channon Fluker recorded a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds).
THREE'S COMPANY: Sophomore Andee Ritter is tops in the Big West with 44 threes (2.8/game). She has connected from long distance in 15 of 16 outings and has hit multiple treys in 10 contests. The Medford, Ore., native recently tied a single-game school record with seven 3-pointers at UC Riverside on Jan. 7. She is the third 'Eater to drain seven triples in a game and the first to accomplish the feat in 12 years. Kathy Lizarraga set the original record back in 1988-89. Ritter is currently tied for 10th in single-season program history, and is on pace to break the 28-year old record of 64 (also held by Lizarraga).
MORE ON RITTER: Ritter ranks third on the squad with 11.1 points per contest and has eight double-figure scoring games. She has three of UC Irvine's four 20-point performances this season. The 6-foot guard notched a career-high 23 points at Nevada (Dec. 1) and at UC Riverside (Jan. 7), while finishing with 21 vs. Concordia on Dec. 29. In those three games, she averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 steals and 6.0 3-pointers made. Ritter was named the College Sports Madness Big West Player of the Week following her effort against the Eagles. The Anteaters are 2-1 when Ritter surpasses the 20-point mark.
STEALING THE SHOW: In addition to being UCI's top perimeter shooter, Ritter has anchored the defensive effort with a Big West-leading 37 steals. She had a career-high eight takeaways at Nevada on Dec. 1. That was just one shy of the single-game school record of nine, which was established by Erin Higashi on March 4, 1983. Ritter has also stepped up on the boards recently with a career-best seven rebounds against UC Davis (Jan. 5).
SENIOR LEADER: Shereen Sutherland leads UC Irvine with 11.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. She has reached double digits in scoring nine times, while adding two games with 10-plus rebounds. The 6-foot-2 senior forward notched her first double-double of the season and second of her career with a 20-point/12-rebound effort at Portland State on Dec. 3. She has pulled down at least seven boards in 10 of the team's 16 games, including a career-high 15 at Utah State.
FAMILY TRADITION: Junior Sabrina Engelstad is the daughter of former UC Irvine great, Wayne Engelstad, who played for the Anteaters from 1984-88. Wayne ranks among the top-10 in school history with 1,530 points and 698 rebounds. Sabrina is now following in her father's footsteps as the 6-foot-4 forward is second on the squad with 11.3 points per contest. She has 12 double-figure scoring games in the last 14 outings, including seven-straight from Nov. 17-Dec. 10. The streak began with a then season-high 13 points at Utah State. Sabrina went on to record UCI's first double-double of the year with 11 points and a career-best 14 rebounds at Loyola Marymount. She later poured in 16 points at Portland State, a current season best of 18 vs. Sacramento State and 17 vs. Bakersfield. Sabrina matched her season high with 18 points against Pac-12 member USC on Dec. 21.
WE CAN DISH IT: Freshman Brooke Bayman and senior Irene Chavez have combined to dish out more than half of the Anteaters' 181 assists. Bayman owns a team-best 54 as she has 11 games with three or more helpers, including a season-high eight against Bakersfield. Chavez isn't far behind with 42 assists. She delivered a career-high nine helpers with no turnovers at Nevada.
BREAKING BARRIERS: UC Irvine notched the program's 15th 90-point game, and first since the 2013-14 season, with its 92-61 victory over Concordia on Dec. 29. The 'Eaters were the sixth Big West team to reach the 90-point benchmark this season and the fifth to do so in regulation. A huge third quarter sparked the win as the Anteaters set a program and conference record with 40 points in the period.
• UCI is one of four NCAA Division I teams to score 40 points in a quarter this season.
• The Anteaters' 40 points are tied for second in the nation as Oakland's 41 is the top scoring quarter this year.
• The NCAA record for points in a quarter is 45 by Central Michigan on Nov. 15, 2015.
• The 'Eaters crushed their previous best of 29, which they established at Portland State on Dec. 3.
• UC Irvine had more points in the third frame than it did in its games at Gonzaga and LMU.
UP NEXT: UC Irvine is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 14, when it makes the short trip to Cal State Fullerton for a 6 p.m. Big West showdown.
